Scientific Sparring Strategy: Bespoke 1-1 Tactical Coaching and Video Analysis from an active International Taekwondo Athlete training for LA28!

Find out more about Christian

• 1) What age did you start playing sport? Tell us about this time or moment in your life.

  I started sport at 5 years old, joining a local football team in my town to make new friends and to stay busy with my parents working when I got off school. I always appreciated the teamwork aspect, but felt more comfortable when I could practice football skills by myself or with my Dad. This turned me to individual sport which I soon fell in love with! I could practice whenever I wanted and as I got older realised I benefited not just from the exercise but also the meditative qualities of training by yourself.

• 2) What are your favourite sports; those that you practice at a high level, a simple hobby, and a sport that you'd still like to discover?

  My favourite sport is Olympic Taekwondo which I practice at international competitive level and have done for the past 4 years. More recently, I’ve grown to appreciate supporting forms of exercises to my combat sports, particularly long-distance athletics and yoga. In sharp contrast to the intense and explosive movements I practice so frequently, yoga and running both allow my brain to concentrate on my own body and its cues. I leave after practicing these skills feeling more relaxed, mobile and mentally recharged for my kicking sessions. One sport I would love to discover more of is weightlifting. Not only facilitating my sport with stability and strength qualities, weightlifting comes across as a very personal and honest sport and I’m intrigued to follow that same dynamic shared across all my current forms of exercises into a new context.

• 3) What gives you the motivation and passion to pursue your sport?

  What gives me drive in Taekwondo is the creativity to move my body in any number of ways. Competition remains so exciting because there truly are so many ways to apply kicks and that diversity still leads to success. So many different styles of fighting exist and techniques are constantly challenged and reinvented for new applications in the ring, keeping the competition level high and entertaining for both athletes and spectators. A secondary source of passion comes from my team, family and friends. Across my sporting career, I’ve been lucky to have always felt supported by those closest to me and have met friends and rivals from training on the mats who have challenged me to grow. They remind me of who I am inside and outside Taekwondo, how far I’ve come and help steer me towards where I want to go.

• 4) Do you have a sporting achievement that you're particularly proud of?

  Absolutely! My first ever student nationals in the UK university taekwondo circuit I won a bronze in my weight class. It was my first medal in the UK and one that I had exceptionally hard for given my limited previous experience in competition leading up to that point. I got to share it with my teammates and it was the first vote of confidence that I could really go further in the sport.

• 5) How have your achievements and challenges made you a better sportsperson?

  Since being up on the European international circuit, competitors have been world-class and I’ve always had very challenging bouts. One in particular was at the Spanish Open this past April where I faced up with a Spanish National Team member. He beat me both rounds decisively, but I got to look back and could clearly see where my pitfalls were. From there I was able to train with more intention and all of my subsequent performances, European Student Combat Games and Polish Open, showcased how much attention to detail I had when reviewing my fight and how I curated my competition preparation.

• 6) If you had to go for a jog with a famous athlete, who would you choose? And what questions would you ask them?

  If I could jog with a famous athlete, it would be the American rower Brad Lewis. I read his book and was truly inspired by his determination and defiance of his less-than-ideal sports environment. I’dd love to ask him questions about his mental fortitude, how he structured his training and what he used as mental fuel to persevere through defeat, loss of self and doubt.

• 7) How do you help people stay motivated?

  I help people stay motivated with my personality. By nature, I’ve always been very optimistic and vocally supportive on and off the mats so I take pride in my ability to bring that into my tutoring. Taekwondo is a sport for those who like to push themselves. You work for every kick, every stretch, every bit of cardio and every sparring match. With so much volume, having someone like myself who still lives that experience and competes at the highest level to validate my student’s feelings, answer any technical questions and continue to support them as they push themselves is maintain good habits and see successes in training.

• 8) What makes you a Superprof in sports?

  I’m a Superprof in sports because I am fundamentally interested in learning about my sport. I will continue to be a student myself long after my time on the mat, so I believe that mindset allows me to empathise and strategise with my students to help them understand their training and get the most out of it. I see myself as a collaborator and someone who can offer bespoke training sessions and leverage my ongoing competitive career to point students towards training methods and mentalities that I’ve found helpful and beneficial to my own learning.